Fastener or spacing the upper and lower laps of endless clothes-lines.



C. J.STEELE.,

DEVICE FOR SPAGING THE UPPER AND LOWER LAPS 0F ENDLESS CLOTHES LINES.

APPLICATION I'ILED SEPT. 22, 1913.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

I II I I I III I IIIIIII I I I ITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE.

CHARLES JOSEPH STEELE, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR SPACING THE UPPER AND LOWER LAPS 0F ENDLESS CLOTHES-LINES.

oenos'e.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. S'IEELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Spacing the Upper and Lower Laps of Endless Clothes-Lines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to clothes lines and has for an object to provide means for holding the upper lap and lower lap of an endless loop clothes line spaced apart and at the same time preventing the lower lap from which the garments are suspended from being blown up and entangled with the upper lap when the clothes are actuated by breezes.

With the above objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and'claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention :F igure 1 is a front elevation showing the application .of my invention to a clothes line. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 22 Fig.v

1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing a modified form of the invention. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4it Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts, 10 designates an endless loop clothes line which is trained over sheaves 11 and 12 attached respectively to a window casing 13 and outdoors post 14;, these parts being of the usual and well known type.

In carrying out my invention I provide a sheave 15 which is mounted in an inverted J-shaped rod 16, the sheave engaging down upon the upper lap 17 of the clothes line. I also provide a second sheave 19 which is mounted in a Jshaped rod 20 and is engaged upon the lower side of the lower lap 21 of the clothes line. The shanks of both rods overlap and are provided with respective registering slots 22 and 23 through which an adjusting bolt 24 is passed to adjustably secure the sheaves at any desired distance apart. A weight 25 is attached to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 22, 1913.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914:. Serial No. 791,182.

lower lap with the upper lap is positively prevente It has been found by experiment that in case of there being very little weight of garments on the lower lap, that the weight 25 has a tendency to pull down the upper lap of the clothes line and permit of the lower lap lifting out of engagement with the lower sheave 19. To obviate this disadvantage, I have provided the attachment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, such attachment being applied directly to the parts above carefully described, and consisting of an inverted V- shaped rod 27 that is provided at the apex with an eye 28 and is'provided at the terminals of the legs with rollers 29. The above mentioned adjusting bolt 24 is passed through the eye 28 and the rollers 29 are disposed to ride upon the upper side of the lower lap of the clothes line on opposite sides of and at equal distances from the lower sheave 19 whereby the lower lap of the clothes line is positively prevented from lifting up from engagement with the lower sheave.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple device which will prevent the upper lap and lower la of a clothes line from becoming entangled, and which device furthermore will be formed of a few simple parts that may be constructed at a minimum cost and will not easily get out of order.

What is claimed, is

l. The combination with an endless loop clothes line of means for separating the upper lap and lower lap of the clothes line including an upper sheave engaging the top side of said upper lap, a lower sheave engaging the bottom side of said lower lap, respective rods carrying said sheaves and having shanks overlapping between said upper lap and said lower lap, means adjustably securing said shanks together, and a weight carried by the rod of said lower sheave.

2. The combination with an endless loop clothes line of means for spacing the upper lap and lower lap of the clothes line apart including an upper sheave engaging the upper side of said upper lap, a lower sheave engaging the lower side of said lower lap, equal distances from said lower sheave, and 10 respective rods carrying said sheaves and a weight carried by one of said rods. having overlapping ends, a bolt passed In testimony whereof, I afiix my signathrough said overlapping portions and ad ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

5 justably securing the same together, an inverted V-shaped rod having an eye at the CHARLES JOSEPH STEELE apex engaged on said bolt, and rollers on Witnesses:

the legs of said rod engaging the top side of BOLESLAW S. JELEN,

said lower lap on opposite sides of and at- MAURICE D. SHEA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

